Many experts say, “Looking for a job is a full-time job.” It takes time, effort, and patience to find the right fit. Perfecting your resume, combing the web for job openings, networking with friends and colleagues, and getting acquainted with each company’s uniquely different application and hiring process is stressful.
COVID-19 added new layers of complexity, as millions of suddenly unemployed Americans started job hunting – all at the same time. And although there are many companies legitimately seeking work-from-home employees, the influx of job loss created a perfect breeding ground for recruiting and job scams to surface. To date, nearly 7,000 people have reported losing $27.3 million to business and job opportunity-related fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Follow these 5 tips for avoiding work-from-home scams…
If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Anxious job seekers are eager to jump on every opportunity, and that’s where these scammers can do the most damage. If the pay is far more than you were previously making in your field for fewer hours, and the new employer promises to send you everything you need to set up your own home office for free – it’s not real.
Never pay money to get paid. Many job scammers will say they have the perfect job waiting for you after you pre-pay a fee for certification, specialized training, office equipment, or job-related supplies. Imposters will pressure potential employees to pay up or risk losing the opportunity. Eager job seekers will send payment, but the job never materializes.
Keep a job search record. When you’re actively filling out applications and submitting your resume, keep a log of every job you apply for, how you found out about the opportunity, where you applied (company’s direct website or a job seeking site), and on what day. If an imposter reaches out about an opportunity you did not apply for or from a company you don’t have on your list, be wary of what comes next.
Go straight to the source. Scammers are getting smarter. Some don’t just scam the job seeker, they borrow material from the employer as well. Because information is aplenty online, many imposters will reference real companies in ads or namedrop actual employees in conversations. If something feels off, don’t be afraid to flip the script and reach out directly to the company in a different communication channel. With the uptick in recruiting and job hunting scams, businesses won’t mind if you reach out to confirm the opportunity you’re seeking is legit.
Guard your personal information. Many employers may require prospective employees to complete applications, questionnaires, and assessments prior to scheduling an interview, but that’s to help them narrow down the candidate pool. If you’re being asked to share your driver’s license number, social security number, or bank account information prior to your first day on the job, don’t do it.
Working from home is a great way to receive a consistent paycheck during these unprecedented times, and it’s unfortunate that many scammers are taking advantage of the situation. We hope these tips will help you spot the red flags, so you can spend your time and energy seeking real jobs at real companies.
Have you considered TTEC?
TTEC helped contact center leaders quickly alter their workforce in response to COVID-19 – moving massive quantities of traditional brick-and-mortar employees to at-home environments and pivoting quickly to attract, hire, and train thousands of new associates on limited budgets. And we’re still hiring!
We invite you to apply now, and here’s how to tell it’s us when we reach out to you:
All emails will come from a @ttec.com or @teletech.com email address.
We will interview you before we send an offer letter.
The job is listed on our website at TTECjobs.com (or TeleTechJobs.com)At TTEC, we will never:
- Ask you to transfer or wire money
- Ask you to pay for recruitment-related expenses
- Ask you to schedule an interview via Google Hangouts of other online public domains
- Send an unsolicited job offer and ask for your driver’s license, social security number, or bank account information
- Ask you to order equipment from us
- NOTE: For certain at-home or remote jobs, you may be required to have your own computer equipment for job use. This is common practice for the work-from-home field. We never require you to purchase anything from TTEC.
